THE WIVES OF SIR JAMES THE STEWARD -391- THE WIVES OF SIR JAMES THE STEWARD (d.1309) by Andrew B W MacEwen1 ABSTRACT This paper rehabilitates the traditional year of Sir James the Steward’s birth, names his first two wives, explains the late date of his third marriage to Giles de Burgh, and provides information about their four known children. It posits a double marriage alliance between the Stewarts and Comyns about 1240, clarifies the date of birth of Robert II, and establishes the circumstances of his mother’s death in 1317. It incidentally brings forward some overlooked information on the Muschamp family and shows when Sir William, earl of Mar, actually died. Lastly it draws together what little is known concerning Sir Nicholas Campbell (d.1305), whose representation passed to the Lochawe branch. Foundations (2011) 3 (5): 391-398 © Copyright FMG and the author Sir James, fifth hereditary Steward of Scotland (d. 16 July 1309), who succeeded his father Sir Alexander2 in 1281 or 1282, is traditionally said to have been born in 1243. Based on the late date of his marriage to Giles de Burgh,3 apparently in 1296, Barrow had suggested as early as 1965 that he was actually born later, perhaps in 1253, the year after his father’s pilgrimage to Compostella. In 1985 Barrow and Royan argued that “James was born even later than that, perhaps around 1260,” at the same time shifting “the likely date of birth of his younger brother John from Nisbet’s ‘1246’ to about 1263.” They concluded, “Although the precise date of James’s birth must remain a matter of speculation, it is more likely that he married while still in his thirties – and was therefore born about 1260 - than in his forties or fifties.” 4 In their study Barrow and Royan cited Symson three times, but they nevertheless overlooked – or disregarded – his statement that James married Cecilia Dunbar: “His Wife was Cecilia Daughter to Patrick Earl of Dunbar, who was the first of that Family who quitted that Title, and assumed that of March.” 5 This marriage will have taken place in the late 1260s, when James was in his twenties, since Cecilia can only have been a 1 Author’s contact address: 290 Main Street, PO Box 397, Stockton Springs, ME 04981-0397, USA. Tel. +1 207 567 3351. 2 Sir James’s mother Joanna has never been identified, pace those who still believe she was “Jean, heiress of Bute.” What evidence there is suggests that a double marriage alliance was concluded about 1240 between Sir Walter fitz Alan II and Richard Comyn by which the Steward’s son and heir Alexander married Comyn’s daughter Joanna, while Comyn’s son and heir John married Sir Walter’s daughter Eva. (Comyn’s first wife Eva was certainly the mother of Sir John Comyn II of Badenoch and the four daughters named by Wynton. His second wife Alicia de Ros was the mother of John, Sir Robert, and Alicia.) 3 Although Giles is used as a man’s name in England, such a use is rare in Scotland. There are numerous examples of its use for Scottish women as the translation of the Latin Egidia. Earlier forms include Gelis and Jeillis (Jill), stabilising as Giles by the 18th century. 4 Geoffrey Barrow & Ann Royan, “James Fifth Stewart of Scotland, 1260(?)-1309,” in Essays on the Nobility of Medieval Scotland, ed. K J Stringer (1985) 166, 167. 5 David Symson, Historiographer Royal for Scotland, A Genealogical and Historical Account of the Illustrious Name of Stuart, From the First Original, to the Accession to the Imperial Crown of Scotland, Edinburgh (1712), 102 (at end of chapter on “JAMES”); cf Duncan Stewart, A Short Historical and Genealogical Account of the Royal Family of Scotland, … And of the Surname of Stewart (1739), 52. See also the commentary in the appendix (p.398 below) -392- THE WIVES OF SIR JAMES THE STEWARD daughter of Earl Patrick III (1213-1289) and his wife Cecilia, married about 1240, daughter of John fitz Robert of Warkworth and Ada de Balliol.6 Symson assumed that Cecilia was the mother of James’s known children – erroneously, of course. We can be certain she had no sons who survived, though it is possible she had a daughter or daughters, as yet unidentified. James and Cecilia would have been in the fourth degree of consanguinity, as great-great-grandchildren of Sir Walter fitz Alan I (d.1177). James’s second marriage has until now escaped detection, despite the fact that the evidence for it, a court case of 1279, was printed as far back as 1891: Nicholaus de Graham ponit loco suo Thomam de Hagarstym, clericum, versus Thomam de Doby [sic], de placito assisae mortis antecessoris. Jacobus filius Alexandri et Muriella, uxor ejus, ponunt loco suo Stephanum de Muschaump’ vel Thomam de Hagarston’ versus Thomam de Rok, de placito assisae mortis antecessoris. Maria, uxor Nicholai de Grame, ponit loco suo eosdem Stephanum vel Thomam versus eumdem Thomam de eodem placito, etc.7 (Doby is apparently a misreading.) The jury found that “the heirs of Muschampe hold their barony by service of four knights, and making suit to the county at Newcastle.” 8 Muriel and Mary were the daughters of Sir Malise, earl of Strathearn (d.1271), by his first wife Marjory, daughter and coheiress of Sir Robert de Muschamp (d.1250).9 Muriel was the second wife and widow of Sir William, earl of Mar, but her subsequent marriage had been unknown. (James’s use of the patronymic here appears to be unique.) William, earl of Mar, witnessed a charter of Alexander III at Haddington, Wednesday, 1 August 1274 (anno 26), along with Robert de Brus, earl of Carrick,10 three weeks to the day after the birth of the future Robert I at Turnberry on Wednesday, 11 July. He was alive at the end of 1276 when summoned to “provide his service in the army of Wales for a knight’s fee.” 11 “The formal feudal summonses were issued on 12 December 1276, asking 6 Andrew B W MacEwen, “A Clarification of the Dunbar Pedigree,” The Genealogist, 9 (1988): 229-39. 7 “apud Novum Castrum Super Tynam, in Comitatu Northumbriae … in octabis Sancti Hillarii anno regni Regis Edwardi septimo” [20 January 1278/9], in William Page, ed., Three Early Assize Rolls for Northumberland 13th century, Surtees Society, 88 (1891): 301; cf p.204, n.2. John P Ravilious kindly sent some 40 pages of xeroxes from this volume (relating to Sir Robert fitz Roger and his family) on 6 Dec 2007. This fortuitous discovery was sent to Prof Barrow on 12 Jan 2008. 8 Joseph Bain, ed., Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, Vol. II, AD 1272-1307 (1884), p.42, no.148, m.12. 9 Two of his charters, confirmed by James I on 3 Nov 1427, are printed in James Balfour Paul, ed., The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland AD 1424-1513, (1882), pp.19-20, no.105. They name his mother, “domina Matilda,” and his sister Giles, wife of William fitz John of Honum: “quas domina Matilda mater D. Rob. De Muscampo dedit Wil. filio Joh. de Honum cum Gilia filia dict. M. in liberum maritagium” (p.20a). And see Cosmo Innes, ed., Liber Sancte Marie de Melros (1837), 1: 206-7, no.232; 207-9, no.233; 209, no.234. Although cited by Tate and others, these charters were overlooked by Hedley. 10 Joseph Robertson, ed., Collections for a History of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff (1843), 340 (misdated 1269). 11 Bain, op.cit. (1884), p.62, no.201. THE WIVES OF SIR JAMES THE STEWARD -393- all those who owed service to muster at Worcester on 1 July.” 12 He probably died during the following year, 1277. In 1281, at Michaelmas Term [9 October – 28 November], Edward I commanded the Barons of the Exchequer, as William, earl of Mar, had provided his service, to quit him of the scutage.13 Sir Donald of Mar, who first appears as earl in record on 25 July 1281,14 had actually succeeded his father some four years earlier. The marriage of Earl William’s widow to the future Steward surely took place in 1278, when she was thirty-four. The earl’s first wife, Elizabeth Comyn, died in 1267,15 so his marriage to Muriel lasted less than a decade – though how much less is unknown. Muriel’s second marriage would last thirteen years, until her death at the age of forty- seven. It seems unlikely that James would have married a widow in her early thirties who had not demonstrated her ability to bear a child. Muriel may well have had children, perhaps indeed by both her husbands, who did not survive. No evidence bearing on this point has been found. All that is known is that her sister was her heir. On 16 May 1291 at Norham, Edward I took the homage of “Muriella, widow of William earl of Mar, granddaughter and one of the heirs of Robert de Muschaump,” but she was dead within six months thereafter, a writ of diem clausit extremum issuing at Worcester on 12 November, Edward having learned that “Muriella formerly Countess of Mar, is dead.”16 Her sister Mary, aged forty years and more, wife of Nicholas de Graham (of Dalkeith and Abercorn), was found next heir to “Muriella, late Countess of Mar,” on 23 November by inquest at Wooler, with Stephen de Muschauns and Thomas de Hagardistone among the jurors.17 Shortly after his succession as Steward, James had confirmed, “consensu et assensu Consilii mei,” to Mary’s father-in-law, Sir Henry Graham patri, “cartam quam Alanus filius Walteri, dapiferi Regis Scocie, antecessor noster, Ade filio Gilberti et heredibus suis dedit de feodo de Torboultoun” (a grant made in or before 1177).18 Mary was alive on Monday, 16 June 1320 when, “in sua viduitate,” she resigned “apud Colbranspeth” the tenement of Halsyngtoun in the sheriffdom of Berwick, styled “Maria sponsa quondam Nicholai de Grahame militis et una heredum quondam Marjoriae de Musco campo comitisse de Stratherne.”19 Although his younger brother Sir John Stewart (d.1298) had fathered three or four sons by the 1290s, Barrow and Royan point out that James’s “official position as 12 Michael Prestwich, Edward I (1988, [new edn.